I’m not from Brighton. I’m from a little tiny village in the New Forest. Sounds nice, but actually I lived in the village for people who couldn’t afford to live in one of the more idyllic villages… So it was a bit pants. When you grow up around “free range” horses, the novelty of them walking in the road wears of – really quickly.

When I moved to Brighton in August 2011 (yes, I haven’t been here long) I had the fortunate timing of landing in Kemptown during the week of Pride. Now, I’d heard it was big, but nothing prepared me for a street party outside my flat from Friday night through to Monday morning. Safe to say, Brighton’s got the most proud Pride I’ve been exposed to.

I quickly found myself with a living room floor full of busking friends – a gay guy I knew tenuously through university, all of his friends, their brand new boyfriends (or rather, the guys they’d acquired in the dance tent at Preston Park), two girl friends from my life in France and a high demand for post-party cups of tea. Good thing one of my first purchases on the move was an energy saving kettle – how very Brightonian of me.

Despite being pushed back to September this year and the return of that bone-chilling Brighton wind, the Pride atmosphere has already begun – just take a walk down St James’ Street and see it awash with rainbow flags, overpriced sailors hats and posters beckoning the oncoming parade – and to celebrate, we’ve just booked our next fantastic speaker who will be announced in The Argus on Tuesday morning!

We’re also continuing the celebratory atmosphere by extending the ticket application deadline by a week!

As a teaser to this speaker, I suggest you watch Hook…